Snap-fastener



F. S. CARR.

SNAP FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED LAN. 31 1.919.

-1 ,$41,043. Patented May 25, 1920.

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l M (Y *mi v wwf J whl www1/mgl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED S. CARR, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CARR FAST'ENERCOMPANY, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

'SNAP-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED S. CARR, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Newton, in the county of Middlesex, `Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, (whose postofiice address is care of Carr FastenerCompany, Cambridge, Massachusetts,) have invented an Improvement inSnap-Fasteners, of which thefollowing description, 1n connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a snap fastener comprising a socket memberadapted to be attached to one of two parts or members to be connected,and a stud member adapted to be attached to another part or member, thesocket member being provided with spring fingers adapted to engage thestud member.

This application is in part a substitute for and in part a renewal of myapplication Serial No. 215,890, filed February 7, 1918. y

The invention is embodied in certain im provements in the socket member,and has for one of its objects to provide a socket member having springfingers which, while adapted to effectively engage a stud member, arefree from liability to set or lose their resilience when subjected toprotracted use.

Another object is lto provide a construction adapted to resist pressuretending to impair thev usefulness of the socket member.

To these and other related ends the invention consistsin theimprovements hereinafter described and claimed.

0f the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a socket member embodying a preferred form ofone illustrative embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the socket memberattached by its prongs;

ig. 4 is a section, corresponding to the section shown in Fig. 3, the.fastener illustrated being of the type which is adapted to be sewn tothe fabric and having the stud-engaging jaws thereof modified to ren--der the socket reversible.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, omitting the prongs, and an edgeview of a stud menber engaged with the socket member; an

Fig. G is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the spring fingers flexedfrom their normal position by the head of the stud member.

The several figures are considerabl enlarged from the actual size of theevice when the latter is intended for use as a placket fastener, whichis one of the uses at present contemplated, although the size of thedevice will obviously depend on the purpose for which it is to be used.

The preferred form of my improved socket member shown in the drawings iscircular, is formed from a single piece of sheet metal, and comprises acontinuous inexpansible ring 12, which is preferably substantiallycylindrical and is adapted to bear at its inner end on a carrying part18, and a series of arched spring fingers 13 projecting radially inwardfrom the outer edge of the ring into the space surrounded by the ring.The 4opposite ends of the ring are preferably'of substantially equaldiameter. The free inner ends of said fingers are curved, as shown byFig. 3, to conform closely to the periphery of a stud member 14 which iscircular in cross section. Said curved ends are substantially flush withthe outer end of the ring, and abut against each other and form apractically complete circle, or may be slightly separated, as shown byFig. 1. When the stud member is being inserted the larger portion of itshead bears on the free ends of the fingers and flexes them outwardly, asshown by Fig. 6, until said head passes the free ends of the springs,whereupon said ends spring into engagement with the reduced inner orshank portion of the stud, as shown by Fig. 5.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the ring12 is provided with prongs 12a adapted to penetrate a carry- :ing partor member 18 and be clenched therej on, as shown by Fig. 3. Vhen theseYprongs are employed, the arched edges of the fingers may be in closeproximity to each other, the triangular openings hereinafter describedbeing unnecessary.

The arched edges of the fingers 13 may be arranged so 'that they form,in conjunction with portions of the ring v12, substantially triangularopenings, the edges of adl a carrying part 18, as shown by Figs. 4,

jacent ngers diverging from each other from the inner to the outer end.This form permits sewing thread to be applied to or passed aroundportions of the ring to form stitches 17 attaching thesocket member toand 6.

The arched fingers 13 are resilient throughout their entire length, orfrom the `use.

points where they join the ring 12 to their stud-engaging inner ends. Inother words, substantiallythe entire zone of the socket member betweenits peripheryand the studengaging ends of the fingers is resilient andis composed of a plurality of independently resilient portions, each ofsaid portions being an arched finger 13. The said independentlyresilient portions free from liability of losing or fsetting as theirresilience a result of long continued 'When the stud and socket menibersare engaged in the manner shown by Fig. 5, the freeinner ends of thefingers bear on the base 14a of the stud member, and are supported bysaid base and the stud member. against pressure on the crowns of .thearched fingers tending to flatten the arches. /The base 14al of the studmember may be attached by stitches or otherwise, to a carrying part 20.Owing to the fact that the outer ends of the arched fingers areconnected with theouter end of the ring, while their inner ends aresubstantially flush with said outer end, and their crowns aresubstantially fiush with the innerl end, the ring 12 constitutes anannular inexpansible wall in which the fingers are housed. Said wallsurrounds the arched fingers and acts to resist pressure tending 'tofiatten the arches, the axis of the substantially cylindrical ring beingsubstantially 55 of my invention slightly offsetby Figs. 4, 5 and 6, so

perpendicular to the planes of the carrying parts 18 and 20 and to theplane of the base of the socket member bearing on the part 18, so thatthe ring constitutes an annular pressure resisting strut.

The outer edges of the exposed stitch-engaging portions of the ring 12may be inwardly from the plane of of the lingers 13, as shown that thestitches 17 are protected against wear by the base 14a of the studmember.

' have shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a form adapted to be secured to afabric by clenched prongs. In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have shown a form of myinvention adapted toA be secured to the fabric by sewing or stitching.To avoid trouble in the outer ends case the socket is inadvertentlystitched to arched fingers terminating the fabric wrong side up, I haveshown the substantially centrally o the vertical dimension of thesocket, the ends being slightly straigtened or fingers are by the body14 of yThe arch 'fingers shown in Figs. 4, 5 and are, however, resilientfrom stud-engaging end, thereby preventing setting of the fingers bylong continued use.

The inner'edge'of the ring 12 may be reinforced and thickened by foldingit as shown at 21, Fig. 6, thus forming a rounded edge of greaterthickness than that of the -metal ofy which'the ring is formed.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of one embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that changes involving omission,substitution, alteration and reversal of parts, and even changes in themode of operation, may be made without departing from the scope of myinvention, which is best defined in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A snap fastener comprising a continuous substantially cylindricalinexpansible ring having opposite ends of substantially equal diameter,the axis of the ring being substantially perpendicular tothe planes ofits ends, and a plurality of arched spring fingers .integral with thering, joined at their outer ends to one end of the ring, projectinginwardly Ctherefrom, and having inner `ends formed to engage a studmember,- each finger being resilient from the ring to its studengagingend, whereby setting of the fingers by long continued use is prevented,the fingers forming a zone which is resilient from the ring to the innerends of the fingers and is housed within the ring and protected therebyagainst pressure tending to fiatten the resilient arches formed by thefingers. 2.A snap fastener comprising a .continuous substantiallycylindrical inexpansible ring having opposite ends of substantiallyequal diameter, the axis of the ring being substantially perpendicularto the planes of its ends, and a plurality of arched spring fingersintegral with the ring, joined at their outer ends to the outer end ofthe ring, projecting inwardly therefrom, and having stud-engaging innerends substantially fiush with their outer ends and with the outer end ofthe ring, and crowns which are substantially flush with the base end ofthe ring, each finger being resilient from the ring to its stud-engagingend whereby ting of the fingers by long continued use is prevented, thelingers formino a zone which the ring to the is resilient from the ringto the inner ends fingers integral with the ring, joined at their 4ringbetween the fingers are `adapted to en-v gage attaching stitches.

4. A snap fastener comprising a socket having an inexpansi'ble marginalportion and a plurality of arched spring fin ers.

resilient substantially throughout t eir length extending inwardly fromsaid marginal portionand joined at their outer ends l to said portion,the inner ends of said fingers formed to engage a stud member, saidmarginal portion forming a housing surrounding and protecting saidfingers.

A `socket for separable fasteners including a peripheral housing portionanda plurality of arched spring fingers integral with said housingortion, projecting in-v wardly from one e ge thereof and archedthroughout substantially their entirelength from the housing portion tothe stud-engagirg terminals of said fingers.

\ 6. socket for separable fasteners including a peripheral housingportion and a plurality of arched spring fingers integral with saidthousing portion, projecting inwardly from one edge thereof and archedthroughout substantially their entire length from the housing portion tothe stud-engaging terminals of said fingers, said-finger portions lyingentirely between the plane of the top of said housing portion and theplane of the bottom thereof.

7. A socket for separable fasteners including a peripheral housingportion and a plurality of arched spring fingers integral with saidhousing ortion, projecting inwardly from one e ge thereof and archedthroughout substantially their entire length from the housing portion tothe stud-engag ing terminalsyof said fingers, the terminal portions ofsaid fingers being located substantially midway between the plane of thetop of said housing portion and the plane of the bottom thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED S. CARR.

